MENARD RETURNS TO THE WHEEL: Paul Menard joins the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team this weekend at Michigan International Speedway for the third time this season behind the wheel of the Menards Chevrolet Impala. In two starts with the team this season, the Eau Claire, Wis. native finished third (Texas Motor Speedway) and second (Richmond International Raceway).
SOLID STATS:Menard has made five previous starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Michigan. In those five starts, he’s finish outside the top 10 only once (2006). The driver has one top-five and four top-10 finishes and has led 12 laps around the 2-mile track. He has an average 16.6 starting position and 10.6 for an average finish.
KHI AT MICHIGAN:Michigan International Speedway remains one of 17 tracks at which KHI has yet to score a victory and is one of 15 tracks on the circuit at which the organization has yet to start a race from the pole position in the Nationwide Series. KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick collected a fifth-place finish in 2009 in the No. 33 Chevrolet, KHI’s best finish in eight starts at the Brooklyn, Mich. facility.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Kevin Harvick piloted the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Impala to a 13th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway on June 4. With qualifying cancelled due to rain, NASCAR set the field per the rule book and placed the cars in line according to practice speeds. Harvick started the race from the 18th position. The team powered their way to the lead and held track position among the top five before an unscheduled pit stop for right-side tire issues near the end of the event caused the team to finish outside the top 10.
CHASSIS HISTORY: This weekend at Michigan International Speedway the No. 33 Menards team will unload chassis No. 071. This will mark the fifth time this season the team has utilized this particular chassis. Kevin Harvick drove the car to a third-place finish at Auto Club Speedway in March. Menard finished third with this chassis at Texas Motor Speedway the following weekend. Clint Bowyer climbed behind the wheel and collected a sixth-place finish at Darlington Raceway in May. Most recently, Harvick finished 16th at Charlotte Motor Speedway with the chassis.
MENARD’S THOUGHTS ON MICHIGAN: “It’ll be great to get back in the No. 33 Menards Chevrolet this weekend and work with David Hyder and the guys at KHI. I really like racing at Michigan International Speedway. I’ve had some great runs there in the Nationwide Series. We had a great run last year, led laps and finished in the top five. The two races I’ve run with this No. 33 team so far this season, we’ve finished third and second. Hopefully we can finish first this Saturday.”
Media Access: Members of the media can now log on to www.kevinharvickinc.com to gain access to press kit information online. For more information, please email Tiffany Breaux at KHI at
